10 best ports in Andalusia

For all the lovers of the nautic, Andalusia is an unique place full of marinas and with a splendid climate, perfect to enjoy the navigation during all the year. If you like the sea, you don’t need to have your own recreational boat. Nowadays, the boat chartering is a growing sector, and to hire one of these boat is not as expensive as you could think.

With this blog we want to invite you to know the most famous ports in Andalusia and the places where they are located. Even if you don’t want to ge ton board and go out sailing, you can always enjoy all the shops, bars and restaurants that fulfill these ports, full of life and with a singular beauty.

PUERTO BANUS

The first position of this ranking is ocuppied by one of the most international and famous ports in Spain. This recognition is not solely because of its nautical value, but also for the luxury and the glamour that characterize this city, and more specifically, this zone also named as The Golden mile. In the port’s berths you will find all kind of yachts and large boats with high luxurious performances.

This port is replete with luxury clothes shops, as well as restaurants where you will can enjoy the best dishes and have lunch facing to the impressive views of this port and its large yachts. If you have the opportunity of visiting it and stroll in this environment of luxury and beauty, you will also can notice how a large quantity of high range cars are accumulated here.

If you pass through Marbella, or you are in a close place, Puerto Banus is an obligated visit.

CADIZ PORT

This is one of the most important ports in the country and it is divided in turn in 5 different ports.

Port of Cadiz

Dock Cabezuela – Puerto Real

Dock of Zona Franca

Dock of Santa María Port.

This port counts on a large history that started when the city was known as Gàdes by its settlers: the Romans. This port always have had a great importance due to its proximity to Africa and its position between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It turned back its importance with the arrival of the Catholic Kings, and its activities was mainly focused in the comerce with Africa and America.

You can even see Morocco from this port in clear days. To stroll along this port is also strolling by its history. If we observe its scale, we can realize soon about its importance since this port is prepared to be a naval base of the spanish army, a commercial port, a passenger port or even to have the function of base for the Custom Surveillance Service and the Guardia Civil’s Maritimal Surveillance.

MALAGA PORT

Malaga city (known as Malaka by the ancient phoenicians) was founded by the phoenicians in the IX b.C. century, and because of this reason, this port also has a large history behind its back. In this zone, several different civilitations have been using its port with commercial and warlike purposes.

During this last 20 years a series of changes were made in Malaga’s port. These have contributed to its modernization and the creation of new spaces for cruises and vessels.

Inside the Malaga’s port we find the Muelle 1, an outdoor shopping centre located in right in the middle of the port. You will find in it a large diversity of entertainment places, shops, restaurants, bars or even the renowned Centre Pompidou (the first that has been inaugurated outside France)

You will always have new activities to do and new places to meet in Malaga, but the visit to this port with dreamy views is almost unavoidable.

PUERTO MARINA (BENALMADENA)

This port is one of the most emblematic key points in Costa del Sol and Andalusia. Due to all the services and the unusual architecture of its buildings, Puerto Marina has been internationally recognised as “The best Marina in the World” twice.

Puerto Marina count on a big leisure offer which includes a big amount of shops, restaurants and activities to enjoy with family. At the entry of the port you will find the Aquarium Sea Life, an impressive aquarium full with marine species and dedicated to the conservation of the shark.

At night, the life and the bustle in Puerto Marina keep going. If you want to go outside and have a drink or enjoy a good party with friends, this is one of the most known party zones in the coast of Malaga.

PUNTA UMBRIA

This port is probably the most beautiful in the coast of Huelva. Its white boats moored in the port are combined perfectly with the typical beauty of a white andalusian village. Besides its beauty, the Punta Umbría’s port has a gastronomical attraction that does not leave anybody indiferent; if you come to Punta Umbría you should try the famous white prawns of Huelva, an authentic delicacy.

It is mainly a fishing port, that can reach the trivial sume of almost 1 million kilograms of fish annualy. This port is bustling because of the big affluence of tourists that the city recieves and its magnificent beaches, its landscapes and its gastronomy.

BARBATE PORT

Barbate’s port has its activity divided between the sailing and the fishing. With more than 250 berths, this place also offers a perfect environment to go out for sailing, besides its quality beaches and gastronomy. Well known for its seafood, for its famous red tuna and for its seafaring traditions, Barbate count on a port situtated righ in the middle of a narual envinronment very close to the Natural Park of Breña and the Barbate’s marshland.

ESTEPONA PORT

Estepona is a city located in the province of Malaga and it is known as “The garden of Costa del Sol” for its streets full of green and vegetation which combine perfectly with its typicial andalusian architecture and with its prestigious port. Weekly, the port set up a market where a lots of people from the city and tourists gather together. During all the summer, the nights in Estepona’s port is ideal for all those young people who wants to enjoy the night clubs and bars in a relaxing atmosphere.

PORT OF SOTOGRANDE

This residential city full with luxury count on a port with similar characteristics: luxury and exclusivity. In its berths you will find all kind of boats, from sailing boats and yachts to catamarans and all type of motorboats, all of them with a great glamour. Living here and counting on a berth in this port is not reachable for everybody, but if you are close to this zone, don’t doutb it and come to visit because its beauty and the envinronment in which is located is something that you shouldn’t loose.

CABOPINO PORT

This little port located between Marbella and Fuengirola is part of a high purchasing level residental complex. The port of Cabopino has in its installations a natural beach, besides differents beach bars in which you will be able to taste the roasted sardines that are so typical of Malaga. This tranquil corner in Costa del Sol also has an unusual beauty owing to the natural environment full with vegetation.

SPORT MARINA OF LA DUQUESA

This port is situated in the locality of Manilva, inside the province of Malaga. The big variety of services that it offers along with its own beauty makes of this port an obligatory place to visit for the tourist. Apart from being located in a privileged location, with warm temperatures and a shining sun during all the year, in this port you will be able to make all kind of nautical activities. Just like the other mentioned ports before, it has a big amount of bars and restaurants to savour the gastronomy of different countries. During summer nights the craft market that the port sets up during all the season can also be visited.

If you have decided to come to Malaga for your holidays, don not forget to visit Manilva and to enjoy the sun, the climate and the navigation.

In any of these ports you will be able to make lots of nautical activities. Among the most requested there are the water sports, the jet ski rentals and mainly, the boat rental. If you want to have a boat ride in the sea and facing to the andalusian coast, or if you want to travel by boat from one port to another, you can always rent a boat, with or without skipper and enjoy this little privilege which is reachable for everybody nowadays.